When should I start washing clothes?

[Askinforabaskin]

Currently 29 weeks.

Nursery is decorated and we’ll be putting up the furniture this week.

When do people normally start washing baby’s clothes?

Don’t want to drip feed, but will be having scans every week from now and if placenta declines then baby will be delivered early. So could potentially be facing NICU time. So don’t want to leave it too late and not do it in time and be rushing between NICU visits. I have lots of well meaning family members who would do it, but I obviously want to organise it myself.

But equally don’t want to wash it all now and by time March rolls around it’s not nice and fresh and I’ve got to do it all again.

Also cheeky bonus question: when should I start pulling the hospital bag together?

I was in similar position to you where I knew my DS would be premature. He came at 34 weeks in the end but had a scare at 26 and 28 weeks. I packed my bag at 27 weeks and it was handy as it made me feel less panicky and i had packed things to make me feel comfortable and enough for a weeks stay.

I did a little research and it seems most new clothes are sprayed with chemicals to help preserve the brightness of colours and stop them going mouldy, so great on babies skin. Especially for a ickle baby in NICU. I also know a lot of mums who didn't bother washing anything and their babies were fine but i was particularly anxious about everything so washing everything made me feel a bit more prepared. So any new clothes gifted to me were washed early, most of them clothes I bought were second hand I washed them too. I was actually glad that I had washed all clothes, then packed away in vacuum packed bags by 30 weeks because the whole NICU ordeal was awful and one less thing to think about.

I bought a cheap bundle of tiny baby clothes from ebay. I bought more than I thought I would need and I'm glad I did. My DS was poorly for a long time and vomited a lot. NICU will always have spares if you ever run out of clothes.

I hoped this helps, good luck, I really hope all goes well for you and baby!xx

You have to definitely wash them. Need to get rid of all the chemicals. Wash and dry them now they'll be fine for when baby comes x

Oh my goodness do I relate to this 😂😂😂

If you have ever been to a garment factory in China, you wash a newborn babies clothes before they wear them.

Oh well, I haven't and I didn't and everything seems to be fine.

Chemicals? If there were dangerous chemicals on clothes they wouldnt be allowed to be sold. Its not like buying a lettuce and washing it in case there is insects on them.

I never washed them before they were born.

I washed the second hand ones as I got them but not the new ones as I didn’t take the tags off until the baby was safely here.
If the baby comes early the clothes you have will be too big. I was expecting not to go full term but didn’t know how early it would be so I made a list of where premie clothes could be bought quickly to send someone to get them for me when needed.

No you definitely don't.

My mum did all mine as I was busy caring for my then dh who had just been diagnosed with MS, the odd pack of sleepsuits & vests that I bought last minute didn't get washed.

My babies are now in their 30s. Wow, was I supposed to wash their new baby clothes. 😳

I only washed baby clothes when he was in NICU (had to be washed above 60 I think), after he was home straight from the packet.

If you get rid of all of the chemicals it will dissolve. Everything is made of chemicals.

I have never washed anything new before wearing for me or my three DDs 😂😂

It’s fairly clear when people say this that they mean chemical residues that are potential irritants leftover from the manufacturing process.